跨文化商务交际复习资料.doc

Unitl

一、 匹配

1 .culture: The total accumulation of beliefs, customs, values, behaviors, institutions and communication patterns that are shared, learned and passed down through the generations in an identifiable group of people.

2. communication: A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols,signs,or behavior,or the exchange of thoughts,messages,or information,as by speech,signals,writing,or behavior.

3. ethnocentrism： The belief that your own cultural background including ways of an analyzing problems, values, beliefs, language, and verbal and nonverbal. communication, is superior.

4. horizontal communication: The communication at the same level in an organization.

5.intercultural communication： The communication between people from different cultures when a member of one culture produces a message for consumption by a member of another culture.

6.business communication： The communication is within business and administration,aiming at a common objective and profits for both the individuals and organizations. 二、 判断 T：

1. Culture is all men's medium; there is no aspect of human life that is not touched and altered by culture.

2. The terms of intercultural communication and international communication can be used interchangeably.

3. Culture cannot be known without a study of communication, and communication can only be understood with an understanding of the culture it supports.

4.Stereotypes, like culture itself, are learned in a variety of ways. They are the products of limited, lazy, and misguided perceptions. F：

1 .When culture is contrasted with nature, it can be defined as \"'life way of a population,, in its broad sense, meaning what characterizes the particular way of life of a population.

2. The culture shown in an onion consists of two levels: a level of norms and values, or an invisible level, and a visible level of resultant behavior or artifacts of some form.

3. With the integration of language into the fabric of culture, confusion and dysfunction would reign and the culture would fail.

4.1n the global village, neighbors communicate free of troubles and difficulties. 三、 Summary

Culture and Communication

%1 Culture is the total accumulation of beliefs, customs, values, behaviors,institutions and communication patterns that are shared, learned and passed down through the generations in an identifiable group of people.

%1 Only the outward symbols of a culture, 10 percent, are easily visible. The most important aspects of

culture, 90 percent, its norms and values, are far more difficult to grasp. These more profound cultural differences can cause problems when communicating with someone from another culture.

(3)Culture has six major characteristics: shared, learned, symbolic, integrated,dynamic, and ethnocentric.

%1 Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior, or the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing,or behavior.

%1 There are three business communication patterns in terms of direction: upward communication, downward communication, and lateral communication

%1 Culture and communication are inseparably linked. Culture gives meaning and provides the context for communication. Besides, meaning is in the person, not in the word. Intercultural Communication

%1 Intercultural communication is the communication between persons of different cultures, or different cultural backgrounds.

%1 There are five barriers in intercultural communication: language differences,nonverbal communication, stereotypes, cultural bias on judgments, and high level of stress.

(3)Technology has broken down cultural boundaries, and the world is becoming a global village, in which neighbors speak different languages, have different values and different lifestyles Understanding is a measure of communicative success in the global village. 四、重点

1 .culture文化的广义和侠义

in the broad sense:It is estimated that there are more than 1 definitions of culture. In the narrow sense:meaning what characterizes the particular way of life of a population. 2. metaphors of culture 文化的比喻 (1) the culture iceberg (文化冰山)

① Culture above the waterline. ② Culture below the waterline. (2) the culture onion (文化洋葱) %1 Culture in the outer layer. %1 Culture in the middle layer. (3)

Culture in the inner nucleus layer.

3. characteristics of culture (文化的特点)

%1 Culture is shared. ② Culture is learned. (3)Culture is symbolic. %1 Culture is integrated. ⑤ Culture is dynamic. ⑥ Culture is ethnocentric. 4. communication (交际的4个特点)

① dynamic ② symbolic (3)transactional ④ contextual 5 .patterns of communication (沟通方式)

%1 Upward communication.Upward communication is the communication flowing from subordinates to superiors usually concerning employees5 comments about themselves, their reactions about others,their reactions to practices and policies,and their thoughts about their work.

%1 Downward communication.Downward communication is the communication flowing from the top of the organizational management hierarchy,telling people in the organization what is important

(mission) and what is valued(policy).

(3)Lateral communication (or horizontal communication).Lateral,communication or horizontal communication refers to the communication at the same level in an organization. 6.barriers in intercultural communication (跨文化交际障碍) %1 Language differences. %1 Nonverbal communication.

(3)Stereotypes .Stereotype is a thought that can be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things. These thoughts or beliefs may or may not accurately reflect reality. %1 Cultural bias on judgments. %1 High level of stress.

Unit 2

一、 匹配

1 .pragmatics： It is the study of how speakers use the language to reach successful communication, and the study of the effect that language has on human perceptions and behaviors. 2.

Language： It is a set of symbols and the rules for combining those symbols and rules that are

used and understood by a large community of people.

3.Semantics： It is the study of the meaning of words,a system that relates words to meaning. 4. Verbal communication： It is carried out either in oral or in written form with use of words. 5. memo： It is a hard-copy document, used for communicating inside an organization,usually short. 二、 判断 T：

1 .Language is a means to express and exchange thoughts, concepts, knowledge and information as well as to transmit experience and so on.

2. Language and culture are closely related, reflecting, influencing and shaping each other. 3. Written communication is the communication by means of written symbols,either printed or handwritten. F：

1 .Verbal communication is the transferring of thoughts between individuals only via spoken messages. 2.

Verbal communication is not as clarified and efficient as other ways of communication, e.g.

written communication. 三、 Summary Verbal Communication

%1 Verbal communication includes oral communication and written communication. %1 Verbal communication can express all kinds of ideas we want to express. It can keep and disseminate information, and can be clearer and more efficient than other ways.

(3)Semantics is a system that relates words to meaning,It is the study of the meaning of words. Frequently the same word can be misunderstood by i people.from two countries because of their different cultural backgrounds.

%1 Pragmatics is the study of the effect that language has on human perceptions and behaviors. Pragmatics is the study of how speakers use the language to effect successful communication.

%1 Language is the cornerstone of a culture. Language is part of culture. Language.and culture interact and interplay.

Oral and Written Communication

%1 Generally.y there are three basic communication goals for giving oral presentations in business communication:to inform, to persuade,and to build goodwill.

%1 Making calls is efficient and convenient for business people to send and receive information in their intercultural communication Most foreign business people have a habit of using telephones for what they are going to do before or after business, most frequently for making appointments.

(3)Written communication is the communication by means of written symbols,either printed or handwritten. Letters, memorandums, and reports are the primary means of exchanging written information in business.

%1 Letter writing is a very important activity in day-to-day business and personal life. A good business letter is brief, straightforward and polite.

%1 A memo is a hard-copy document. It is used for communicating inside an organization, usually short. A memo contains To,\" \"From,\" Date.\" Subject Heading and Message\" sections.

@ In a report, we re supposed to report, not embroider or influence. Just state the facts, nothing but the facts. The best reports are written in a style that is clear with a logical structure which is easy to follow, and is concise and comes to the point. 四、重点

1 .verbal communication's attributes:(言语交际的特点)

%1 Verbal communication can express all kinds of ideas we want to express. %1 Verbal communication can keep and disseminate information. (3)Verbal communication can be clearer and more efficient than other ways. 2. skillful and effective verbal communication (有效的言语交际的四个因素) ① logical and emotional effects ② objective and subjective factors (3)the needs of the message sender ④ cultural factors

3. Words have two major dimensions of meaning, their denotation and connotation. 4. (中美文化交际的不同点) ① How to address people. (3) How to show gratitude.

② Different perceptions of titles. ④ Conversation topics.

⑤ Being modest.

5. Generally, there are three basic communication goals fou giving oral presentations business communication: to inform-to provide others with new information, to persuade-to modify attitudes and behaviors or to reinforce already-existing attitudes and behaviors, and to build goodwill. ① Informative Presentations. ② Persuasive Presentations. ③ Goodwill Presentations. 6. how to make an effective oral presentation %1 Analyze your audience. %1 Reduce your residual message. (3)Restrict your main points to three. %1 Design your introduction.

%1 Your pattern of organization must be absolutely clear to your audience. %1 Conclude the business presentation with a call to action. %1 Deliver your presentation confidently from beginning to end.

7. (打电话目的)

Most foreign business people have a habit of using telephones for what they are going to do before or after business. Most frequently for making appointments. 8. written communication （书面交际方式） ① business letters ② business memos ③ business report 9. Memos should have the following sections and content：

① A \"To\" ② A \"From\" ③ A \"Date\" ④ Subject heading. ⑤ The message.

Unit 3

一、 匹配

1 .nonverbal communication: The process by which nonverbal behaviors are used, either singly or in combination with verbal behaviors, in the exchange and interpretation of messages in a given situation or context. 2.

kinesics： The nonverbal behavior related to the movement of the body or part of the body.

3 .complementing: It means that nonverbal behavior can support, but could not replace the verbal message in communication

4. proxemics： The study of peoples perception and use of space.

5. personal territory： It refers to the space that people have for their own activities. 二、 判断 T：

1 .Nonverbal behavior is significant because it spontaneously reflects the subconsciousness. 2.

As many movements are carried out at a subconscious or at least low-awareness level, kinesic movements carry a significant risk of being misinterpreted in an intercultural communication situation. 3. A simple eye gesture might be interpreted in a diversity of meanings across cultures.

4. Personal territory can be large or small, which is much related to certain elements such as place, sex, age and character. F：

1 .Nonverbal codes play an important part in communication or intercultural communication. But it is not as important as verbal codes.

2. We put the index finger and mid finger apart with palm against the receiver to mean \"OK,\" which was first used by Winston Churchill.

3. Postures send same messages to all people,e,g. when you stand in an upright position, you impress others as being energetic.

4. The British, like Americans, believe that looking someone directly in the eye is a mark of rudeness until a more intimate relationship is established.

5. Eyes looking sideways can show one's coldness and superciliousness.lt is impolite to move your head side to side while you are communicating with people, e.g. in India or Pakistan. 6. How closely people position themselves to one another during a discussion or talk cannot communicate what type of relationship exists between them. 三、 Summary

1 .Nonverbal Communication

%1 Nonverbal communication is the process by which nonverbal behaviors are used. Nonverbal communication is everything except the actual words.

%1 Nonverbal communication plays an important part in intercultural communication, even more important than verbal communication.

(3)There are six functions of nonverbal communication in generakaccenting, complementing, contradicting,regulating,repeating and substituting. 2.

Kinesics

%1 Kinesics is the nonverbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body, or of the body as a whole.

%1 Facial expressions are important in human communication; the meanings people attach to the same expression differ from culture to culture.

(3) The same gesture may send different messages to those who have different cultural backgrounds. ④ Posture often goes unnoticed to many people, because it follows one' s natural habits, and therefore, it is subconscious in nature. 3.Space and Distance

%1 There are four types of distances. They are intimate distance, personal distance, social distance and public distance.

%1 Private space refers to the space that people have for their own activities. The use of space is directly linked to the value system of culture.

(3)The Chinese value togetherness in their nonverbal communication, while people from English-speaking countries value apartness. 四、重点

1. (非言语交际的功能)There are six functions of nonverbal communication in general. They are accenting, complementing, contradicting, regulating and substituting. 2. (体距) Generally speaking, there are four categories of distances. intimate distance 0-45cm personal distance 45-120cm

social distance 1.3meters to 3 meters work together or doing business together 1.3-2 meters public distance beyond 3 meters

Unit 4

一、 匹配

1 .power distance： The degree to which power differences are expected and accepted by society. 2. values： A learned organization of rules for making choices and for resolving conflicts. 3. uncertainty avoidance： The degree to which the society is willing to accept and deal with ambiguity and uncertainty.

4. masculinity： The degree to which traditional male values are important to a society.

5.individualism： The degree to which individual decision-making and action is accepted and encouraged by the society. 二、 判断 T：

1 .Where power distance is large, the society believes that there should be a well-defined order of inequality in which everyone has a rightful place.

2.1ndividualists prefer self-sufficiency while collectivists give more recognition to their interdependent roles and obligations to the group.

3.In high masculinity societies, sex roles are clearly differentiated and men are dominant.

4.1n high masculinity societies, people tend to believe that matters of material comfort, social privilege, etc.

are

related

to

ability.

5. Where uncertainty avoidance is low, the society is comfortable with a low degree of uncertainty and is open to the unknown.

6. Where uncertainty avoidance is high, the society is concerned with certainty and security. F：

1 .Large power distance countries such as the United States, Austria, Finland,and Denmark hold that inequality in society should be minimized.

2. Where individualism is high, the society emphasizes the role of the group.

3. Asian, Latin American, and West African nations are societies high in individualism but low in collectivism.

4.1n feminine societies, men and women are considered socially unequal. 三、 Summary 1 .Cultural Values

%1 A value system represents what is expected or hoped for, required or forbidden.lt is the system of criteria by which conduct is judged and sanctions applied.

%1 Cultural differences between the West and the East can be highlighted in cognition, relationship with nature, and the concept of truth.

%1 The Chinese are collectivist., placing high value on group cooperation and individual modesty. Americans are individualist placing high value on self-reliance and freedom from externally imposed constraints. 2.

Cultural Dimensions

%1 Power distance is the degree to which power differences are expected and accepted by society. %1 Individualism is the degree to which individual decision-making and action is accepted and encouraged by the society.

(3) Masculinity is the degree to which traditional male values are important to a society. %1 Uncertainty avoidance is the degree to which the society is willing to accept and deal with ambiguity and uncertainty. 四、 重点

1 .Comparison Between Chinese Values and American Values (中美价值观比较) ① Differences in friendship.

(3) Differences in conception of the self. %1 Differences in social relationships. 2.cultural dimensions (文化维度) ① power distance (3) masculinity/femininity

② individualism/collectivism ④ uncertainty avoidance

② Differences in time consciousness.

④ Differences in

Unit 5

一、匹配

1. culture shock： This term expresses the lack of direction, the feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do things in a new environment, and not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate. 2. reverse culture shock： It refers to the \"shock\" one experiences upon returning to one's home

culture after growing used to a new one.

3. recovery shock： A stage of culture shock characterized by gaining some understanding of the new culture.

4. low-context culture： It refers to groups of cultures that value individual orientation and overt communication codes and maintains a heterogeneous normative structure with low cultural demand characteristics.

5. repression： A coping mechanism against culture shock in which we pretend that everything is acceptable and nothing bothers us.

6. honeymoon stage： A stage of culture shock, in which the new arrivals may feel euphoric and be pleased by all of the new things encountered.

7. rejection： A coping mechanism against culture shock in which we think we don't need anybody, and we are coping fine alone.

8. high-context culture： It refers to groups of cultures that value group identity orientation and covert communication codes and maintains a homogeneous normative structure with high cultural demand characteristics. 二、 判断 T：

1 .People of different cultural backgrounds usually behave and respond in different ways in the same context.

2. The term, culture shock, was introduced to describe the anxiety produced when a person moves to a completely new environment, especially when a person arrives in a new country where he is confronted with a new cultural environment.

3. For some multinational firms, they can alleviate culture shock by selecting employees for overseas assignments who possess certain personal and professional qualifications.

4.1n high-context communication the listener is already \"contexted\" and so does not need to be given much background information. 5. F：

1. The easier it is to adjust to a new culture, the easier it is to readjust to home culture.

2.1n high-context culture, that of North America, for example, a large portion of the message is left unspecified and accessed through the context.

3.In low-context cultures, people judge what someone is talking about not only by what he is saying but also by the context in which the message occurs. 三、 Summary 1 .Culture Shock

%1 Culture shock expresses the lack of direction,the feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do things in a new environment and not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate.

%1 Five stages of culture shock can be identified as: honeymoon stage, hostility stage, recovery stage, adjustment stage and biculturality stage.

(3) The symptoms of culture shock include two aspects: physical and psychological.

%1 People can suffer from the symptoms of culture shock in a new place and in their own country as well.

%1 There are some mechanisms against culture shock, such as repression, regression, isolation and

The French culture is a high-context culture; American culture is a low-context one.

rejection. Culture shock can be alleviated, or minimized. 2. High-context Culture and Low-context Culture

① Members of high-context cultures use the context to communicate the message, as both senders and receivers understand the context of the message well.

② Members of low-context cultures put their thoughts into words. They tend to think that if thoughts are not solidified in words, they will not be understood correctly or completely. 四、重点

1 .feelings of culture shock （文化休克的感受） %1 Familiar signs and symbols are lost. %1 Familiar cues are removed.

（3） All cultures are not exactly the same. 2. stages of culture shock （文化休克的阶段） %1 the honeymoon stage %1 the hostility stage （3）the recovery stage %1 the adjustment stage %1 the biculturality stage

3. two aspects of culture shock （文化休克的两个方面）

%1 Physical symptoms of culture shock. Some of the physical symptoms of culture shock include: too much sleep or too little sleep, eating too much or having no appetite, frequent minor illnesses, upset stomachaches or headaches, and a general feelings of uneasiness.

%1 Psychological symptoms of culture shock. Some of the psychological symptoms of culture shock include: loneliness or boredom, homesickness, idealizing home, feeling helpless and dependent, irritability and even hostility, social withdrawal, excessive concern for health or security, rebellion against rules and authority, feeling like you have no control over your life, feeling unimportant and being a foreigner, crying, negative stereotyping of people in the host country.

4.1t may be that an inverse relationship exists between ease of adjustment to an unfamiliar culture and degree of reverse culture shock: The easier it is to adjust to a new culture, the harder it is to readjust to home culture. 5.

defense mechanisms against culture shock （文化休克的防御机制）

%1 Repression. The first coping mechanism is called \"repression.\"This happens when we pretend that everything is acceptable and that nothing bothers us.

%1 Regression. The second one is called “regression.\"This occurs when we start to act as if we are younger than we actually are. We act like a child. We forget everything and sometimes we become careless and irresponsible.

%1 I solation. The third kind of defense mechanism is called \"isolation.\" We would rather be home alone, and we don't want to communicate with anybody. With isolation, we try to avoid the effects of culture shock. Isolation is one of the worst coping mechanisms we can use because it separates us from those things that could really help us.

%1 Rejection. The last type of defense mechanism is called \"rejection.\" With this coping mechanism, we think we don't need anybody. We feel we are coping fine alone, so we don't try to ask for help. 6.

alleviating culture shock （减缓文化休克）

① Learning throughout your stay. （3）Master simple tasks. ⑤ Learn to live with ambiguity. ⑦ Be flexible and resourceful.

② Get involved. ④ Try to understand. @ Be empathetic. （§） Be humorous.

Unit 6

一、 匹配

1 .introduction： The formal presentation of one person to another, in which people get to know each other and establish relationships with each other.

2. etiquette： It refers to manners and behavior considered acceptable in social and business situations. 3. supers titions： Beliefs that are inconsistent with the known laws of science or what society considers to be true and rational.

4. customs： They are behaviors generally expected in specific situations and are established, socially acceptable ways of behaving in given circumstances.

5. taboos： Practices or verbal expressions considered by a society or culture as improper or unacceptable. 二、 判断 T：

1 .Shaking hands at different time will leave different impressions upon the person you are addressing. 2.1n Europe and North America, business cards are far less formalized and are used merely to keep track of who*s who during a hectic meeting schedule.

3.It is rude to season without tasting and this may actually reflect negatively on your character by implying that you are prone to making hasty decisions before checking out the facts.

4.1n Europe, people hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand throughout a meal. 5.In the United States, a businessman who is invited for dinner to the private home of a business contact is expected to write a thank-you note shortly after the event.

6. Taboos often are rooted in the beliefs of the people of a specific region or culture and are passed down from generation to generation. F：

1 .Nonverbal greetings include shaking hands, kissing, bowing and making introductions.

2. Clothes make the man or the woman and the reality is that how you look goes a long way toward leaving a great first impression.

3. The goal at a cocktail party is to meet as many people as possible. Everyone expects to get into deep discussions.

4.Some businesspersons maintain that American humor is helpful to export and appreciate. 三、 Summary

1 .Introductions and Greetings

%1 An introduction is the formal presentation of one person to another, in which people get to know each other and establish relationships with each other.

%1 Proper greetings can make you appear polite and sociable in intercultural business communication. 2.Handshaking and Exchanging Business Cards

① Shaking hands is an expression of mutual trust and respect, and it is a way to send greetings in business situation.

② Presenting a card with two hands conveys respect and an appreciation of the importance of the ritual in most Asian cultures. 3. Dressing and Dining

%1 People communicate through what they wear, their hair style, and the polish of their shoes and even the look of their fingernails.

%1 Though each culture has its own peculiarities when it comes to dining customs,some basic dining etiquette tips are workable in most countries. 4.Social Customs

%1 Customs are behaviors generally expected in specific situations and are established, socially acceptable ways of behaving in given circumstances.

%1 Attitudes toward time and punctuality vary in different cultures.

(3) The way people from different cultures send invitations and express appreciation for hospitality differs.

5. Gift Giving and Receiving

In many cultures it is appropriate to bring smalll gifs when one is invited to enjoy hospitality, though what kind of gifts is suitable and when to open gifts varies across cultures. 6. Humor, Superstition and Taboos

%1 While humor is a universal human characteristic, what is perceived as humorous varies from culture to culture.

%1 Superstitions are beliefs that are inconsistent with the known laws of science or what society considers to be true and rational.

(3)Taboos often are rooted in the beliefs of the people of a specific region or culture and are passed down from generation to generation. 四、重点

1 .social customs (社会习俗的不同点)

Customs vary not only country but also by region or location within a country. %1 punctuality %1 invitations

(3) meeting people at a cocktail in the U.S. 2.An invitation specifies a time, a date, and a place.

案例分析

Sam Lucas

In the United States,public criticism is one of a number of techniques that can be used quite effectively to change personneFs behavior.In the world of Islam,however, where the preservation of dignity and self-respect is absolutely essential,public reprimand will be totally counterproductive.If Arabs feel that they have suffered a loss of personal dignity because they have been criticized in public,they take it as a dishonor to both themselves and their families.And when Sam insisted on using this\"motivational\"technique,the individual at whom the reprimand was directed was not only hurt for the open humiliation but also loses the respect of fellow workers witnessing it. Telephone rings

The Chinese might wish to make good use of the opportunity of communicating with Frank to practice English . To the Chinese , the more Frank spoke in English , the more they practiced their English . They didn't mean to laugh at him for his poor Chinese,but meant to encourage him to speak more English.In addition,they may be surprised and pleased by the way the Chinese spoken by a foreigner,so giggled and laughed. Peter

It may be difficult for the Westerners to believe that smiling for the Chinese not only means that someone is happy,but also that he is sorry. It is desirable for a Chinese to apologize with a smile, which indicate humbleness and embarrassment. Instead of thinking that Chen Jun was not really sorry for the mistake, Peter might actually take the smile as smirking,a sign of disrespect.A Westerner in Chen Jun's situation would probably keep his eyes lowered , especially during the time he was apologizing . A Westerner would expect the employee to look him in the eye and definitely not to smile.The mistaken perception of a smile made an awkward situation worse. 15 days

The Chinese and the Americans are different in approaches to tasks.The Chinese don't care as much about schedules or timeline. Americans are task-oriented.They focus on a scheduled timeline.With high uncertainty avoidance,America is an individualistic society where task completion is important . Also, there is a big difference between the Chinese and the Americans concerning who is the decision-maker of the work, which is much related to the degree of power distance.The Chinese usually work or complete their task according to what their bosses or supervisors ask,while Americans,on the contrary,work or complete their task according to what they suppose is right.In the case,the Chinese thought it was supervisor's job to decide how many days would be needed for the report.The American thought that the Chinese employee was in the best position to analyze time requirements. In the end,the Chinese completed his report in 16 days,which was faster compared with the actually needed 30 days,but was later than it was agreed on.So the American supervisor got angry , which causes the Chinese employee's resignation.For he might think he has tried his best,and the task itself is mission impossible.As a matter of fact,neither of them is wrong in the case.The cultural difference accounts for the unpleasant result.

Jim Ellis

Asians in general and Koreans in particular place a high value on harmonious personal relationships.Conflicts

are

avoided,

and

every

effort

is

made

to

be

polite

and

nonconfrontational.Besides,Koreans have great difficulty in admitting failure, for to do so is to be humiliated or shamed,that is,to lose face.lt is therefore important to maintain a high degree of \"kibun,\" translated as \"morale\" or \"self-esteem.\" The acknowledgment of a problem is far more serious than the problem itself,for it causes a loss of face for the speaker and a loss of morale for the hearer. The directness of Westerners in dealing with incompetence,error or dishonesty is unacceptable to Koreans,whose self-esteem is always on the line.Thus,when the Korean employees withheld knowledge about plant problems from Jim,they did so to preserve his,'kibun.,,If anything negative has to be reported,it should be done,according to the Korean way,at the end of the day so that the parties involved will at least have the evening to restore their damaged \"kibunn. Ned Ferguson

This case illustrates the high value Americans place on science , logic , and rational thought. Since there were no logical links between any of these unfortunate happenings at the plant, Ned and his fellow Americans concluded that they were just an unfortunate yet unrelated series of accidents.The local workforce,on the other hand,believed that sinister forces were at work which required the services of a spiritualist.Unfortunately,Ned and his colleagues got caught up in their own value system and missed the major point: It makes little difference whether the belief in evil spirits is true or false.What Ned and his American staff failed to understand was that a) the workers did believe that evil spirits were at work and b) this belief , whether true or false,was causing a major problem for the company.